There is density of image and colour that is unique to tapestry, is it due to an added textural quality?

The intrinsic nature of a woven surface embodies a certain amount of texture. These ‘beads’ of colour, (this is the description of the woven shape caused by passing the wool/yarn over and under the warps of a tapestry), create the texture seen in the surface. Each bead contains a certain amount of reflective properties that increase the intensity of its colour when woven either, in a patch or a small amount on it’s own. This colour, (let’s say its yellow), will also react differently when it is woven next to any other colour, the theories of colour can be applied directly when weaving. If strands of yellow and blue are gathered together and woven, a kind of green will be seen to emerge, but still it will always be yellow and blue. This is called optical mixing, and from this point on it would be possible to write thousands of words on the subject, so I will stop now and leave that to someone else.
The density of image is also a quality within tapestry that I find interesting. When drawing or painting one is always faced with the surface of paper or canvas, usually white. When making a tapestry all that is faced is the skeleton of vertical warps. The image is built little by little over the warps, the yarn is taken over and under the warps, and using a bobbin the weft is beaten down to cover the warps and at the same time the image reveals itself. There is no visual trace of the colour of the warps, only their ribbed texture. Unlike drawing or painting, the colour, surface and the canvas or paper itself is almost always still a part of how we see the images presented. When interpreting my images, I decide whether or not I will take notice of the texture of the paper and the look of a dry brush across it surface. I could just as easy weave it a solid patch of pale colour.
My approach to make tapestries.
I work in a journal regularly and this is where most of my images come from. The tapestries are finely woven pieces; they feature the theme of the circus and fair ground. I have made both fine and course tapestries; I believe that the very small, fine works are most successful.
This is where the precious nature of the silks and cottons can be appreciated more if they are used alone. This is why I weave fine pieces; beside the reason that the work becomes more like a diary entry and can represent smaller ideas than a bigger piece I am working on. Drawings in my journal are often re-worked into more substantial drawings and tapestries. I like the connection between circus, sideshow and tapestry because, so much of what we identify about these subjects can directly be related to the textile nature of the circus tent, side show banners and the costumes. It seems to be in keeping to weave sections and interpretations of these elements. These small tapestries are portraits of tightrope walkers, equestriennes and stage performers in circus settings.
I believe I keep making work about this subject (for more reasons than this being my topic) because I feel, as humans we act out all the time. I find the metaphors connected with the circus particularly befit humans. The way we walk a tightrope, walk a fine line, run rings around… take centre stage, (in relation to contortion) bending over backwards for someone, have a ringleader. Mainly this connection is based upon language; yet, the clowns (I’m not doing clowns by the way) tend to visually represent exaggerated human behaviour. Just as Hieronymus Bosch illustrated common language and ideas of his time, I think my images could offer a similar way of understanding ourselves.